Kokopo War Museum (Kokopo Museum)
East New Britain Historical & Cultural Centre Kokopo Museum
P. O. Box 1879
Rabaul, East New Britain, PNG
Tel 675-982-8453 | Fax 675-982-8439 | Hours 9-5pm
Former Curator: Alistair Norrie

The Kokopo War Museum (Kokopo Museum) officially the East New Britain Historical & Cultural Centre Kokopo Museum was established in the early 1980s as a small museum inside the Anti-Aircraft and Search Light Command Bunker (aka Yamamoto Bunker or The Admiral's Bunker) in Rabaul. Later the museum was moved to a larger property in Kokopo to accommodate the larger collection and in anticipation of damage from a volcanic eruption. The original board of directors included: David Lindley, Brian Bennett, Alister Norrie and Dick Joyce. This museum contains a large collection of WWII artifacts from the Rabaul related to the history of the area, including local art & culture, German colonial period, prewar and Japanese occupation during the Pacific War. The museum's World War II collection was largely assembled and donated by Brian Bennett.

View of outdoor display in the front yard of the Kokopo War Museum
(Far left, outside fence) British or Japanese manufactured 6" gun. outside the perimeter fence.
(Far right, foreground) Unidentified green artillery piece - 75mm pack howitzer?

Type 97 Te Ke Tankette
Abandoned in the area of Vazin Plantation recovered during the 1970s to Yamamoto Bunker in 1994 moved to Kokopo Museum

Type 95 Ha Go Light Tank (No Turret)
Surrendered at Rapopo area in September 1945 this tank is missing turret and panels

Tracked Recovery Vehicle
Surrendered Rabaul area in September 1945

Generator Truck
Recovered from Vazin Plantation

Special Purpose Vehicle
Surrendered Rabaul area in September 1945

Japanese Steam Roller
Surrendered Rabaul area in September 1945

Vickers SR I Light Amphibious Tank
Surrendered Rabaul area in September 1945

Japanese Generator Truck
Recovered from Vazin Plantation to the museum in the 1980s. Perfectly intact, a tree fell onto the truck at the museum, damaging it.

Japanese Naval Locomotive
610mm narrow gauge rail locomotive powered by a Chevrolet four cylinder engine. Recovered from Tobera Airfield during the 1980s

Pair of Type 97 Motorcycle Frames
Recovered from the Rabaul area and displayed outdoors.

Japanese Search Light
During the 1980s recovered from Vimy Plantation at Tobera Airfield and transported to the museum displayed outdoors.

6" Naval Gun
Emplaced at Rabaul and displayed outside the museum perimeter fence.

150mm Cannon Type 89 (1929) Serial Number 22
Recovered from the Rabaul area and displayed outdoors in the museum front yard parallel to the road.

37mm Infantry Gun Type 11 (1922)
Recovered from the Rabaul area and displayed outdoors in the museum front yard.

75mm Mountain Gun Type 94 (1934) Serial Number 1009
Recovered from the Rabaul area and displayed outdoors in the museum front yard.

120mm Dual Purpose Gun Type 10 (1921)
Recovered from Vimy Plantation area and displayed outdoors in the museum front yard.

25mm Anti-Aircraft Gun Type 96 (1936) Triple Mount
Recovered from the Rabaul area and displayed outdoors in the back yard area.

Kokopo Museum Outdoors Displays

Kokopo Museum Upstairs
20mm cannon with ammunition drum attached from a A6M Zero
7.7mm Beaufort Wreck at Gasmata (3 wrecks there)
B-17 waist gun from #543
37mm cannon from P-39 wreck in the Rabaul area

Aircraft Wreckage and Pieces on Display
Aircraft on display at the museum or wreckage from aircraft

A6M2 Model 21 Zero
Forward fuselage and wings displayed outdoors without engine attached to the tail section of A6M3 Zero 3390.

F4U-1 Corsair Bureau Number 02566
Recovered from crash site, displayed as a crash site diorama how it was discovered.

CAC Wirraway
Frame only, recovered from Vunakanau area.

B-25C "Skilla" Serial Number 42-64570
Piece of nose wreckage with nose art on display in the upstairs museum area.

B-17E "Naughty But Nice" Serial Number 41-2430
The cockpit and nose section on display in the upstairs museum area.

B-17E "Why Don't We Do This More Often" Serial Number 41-2429
Recovered radio and waist door on display.

Sakai 14 Radial Engine
This engine was recovered from B5N2 Kate abandoned at Jacquinot Bay Airfield.

Propeller from B5N Kate
Three bladed propeller from B5N Kate pilot Sugihara crashed January 20, 1942 onto Mount Kombiu (Mother).

Gun Mount from J1N1 Irving
Field modification gun mount for oblique 20mm cannons recovered from Vunakanau Airfield.

B-17 Top Turret Frame
Frame recovered by Brian Bennett from B-17 ditched into the China Strait off New Guinea.

Japanese Radio Equipment
Salvaged from a Japanese Navy radio station tunnel in town. The Naval Headquarters was atop Mango Avenue in the hills.